The skeletal system is composed of typically 206 bones in the adult human body. Bones serve a variety of functions, such as giving the body shape, assisting in movement, producing blood component cells from the bone marrow and even storing minerals, such as calcium and phosphate. While going over every bone is almost impossible, a few bones in the body deserve mention. This is usually due to an important function or certain unique qualities that make them stand out among the other 205 neighboring bones.
Femur
This is also known as the thigh bone and is the longest and largest bone in the human body. It forms part of both the hip joint and the knee joint and is one of the strongest bones in the human body (along with the temporal bone in the skull).
Humerus
This is the major bone of the upper arm and makes up both the shoulder and elbow joints. It consists of three sections: the upper extremity, the body and the lower extremity. The muscles that attach to it include the deltoids, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, pectoralis major and minor, latissimus dorsi, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, brachialis, coracobrachialis, triceps brachii and anconeus.
Clavicle
This is also known as the collar bone and is a type of long bone that makes up the shoulder girdle. It articulates with the sternum at the sternoclavicular joint and with the scapula (shoulder blade) at the acromioclavicular joint. Its functions include transmitting impacts on the upper limb to the central skeleton, providing a support from which the upper limb and shoulder blade can hang, and protecting underlying structures.
Vertebral Column
While not technically a single bone, this merits mention due to its importance in the human body. It consists of 33 vertebral bones, the sacrum and coccyx and protects the spinal cord, which lies in the spinal canal. There are seven cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum (consisting of five vertebrae that are fused together) and the coccyx (which has four vertebrae fused together). It gives shape to the body, especially the thorax, and has intervertebral discs between the vertebrae that serve to provide cushioning to the bones.
References
- "Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 5th Edition;" Keith Moore, Arthur Dalley and A.M.R. Agur; 2006
- "Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, 40th Edition;" Susan Standring; 2008
